Sell Your Cask of Aberlour Whisky
Sell Your Cask of Aberlour Whisky with Mark Littler
Aberlour Cask Values & Valuations
Aberlour casks are very sought after in the current market and prices are tending to be on the rise. One of the great Speyside distilleries it traces its roots back to 1825. Clearly no casks from its first owners exist, but lots of casks have been sold to the public by its current owners, Pernod Ricard.
We specialise in the brokerage of Aberlour casks and have buyers all over the world ready to put forward a no-obligation offer.
The most desirable Aberlour casks are fresh fill sherry oak casks, however, refill sherry casks are also in demand. Bourbon casks (quite common at Aberlour) do not command the same premium as sherry casks but can still sell well. Owing to its French parents you can find Aberlour in more unusual casks – something which appeals to both the domestic and wider whisky community.
If you would like to know the value of your Aberlour cask use the form below to get in touch.
QUICK ABERLOUR CASK VALUATION
Are you looking for a quick valuation on a cask you own or are looking to sell? Enter your details below and we will provide you with a free open market valuation of your cask.
Independent Whisky Cask Valuations
Sell Your Cask of Aberlour Whisky with Mark Littler
We have sold millions of pounds of casks for our customers, consistently achieving the best price for all types of whisky cask. We help you sell your cask for the best price by going direct to our extensive network of buyers.
We pride ourselves on our open and friendly approach to selling a cask of whisky. No question is too small and we are happy to offer complimentary valuations on your cask and expert advice on how to achieve the best price when selling your cask.
At Mark Littler we are committed to providing the foremost independent whisky brokerage service in the UK.
What affects the value of a cask of Aberlour whisky?
There are a large number of interlinking factors that impact the final valuation of a cask of whisky. It is a combination of all the following features that can make a cask expensive, or worthless:
-
The distillery has arguably the greatest impact on the value of a cask of whisky. At the top of the spectrum are premium distilleries and silent distilleries such as The Macallan, Bowmore, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Port Ellen, Clynelish, Brora, Rosebank, Springbank etc.
The next tier includes well respected distilleries with a cult following such as Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Aberlour, Tobermory, Arran, Ben Nevis etc. Casks from other distilleries are still valuable but may not command a premium in the current market.
-
Over 90% of whisky is bottled before it reaches 12 years old. As such the scarcity of whisky increases exponentially as casks pass this milestone. There are NO leaps in value at specific anniversaries (such as 15, 18, 21) as most people tend to think.
It is fair to say that the older the whisky the more valuable, however as the more air enters the cask the evaporation rate will increase significantly meaning there is less whisky remaining. As such an older cask might well be worth less than a similar younger cask OVERALL as there is less whisky remaining owing to the loss through evaporation.
-
As this is written in 2020 sherry casks, especially butts and puncheons, command a premium compared to other casks and are more commercial (easier to find buyers for). Fresh fill sherry are particularly sought after, however if the whisky has been maturing too long in a fresh sherry cask the cask can be over sherried. Sherry casks also carry the risk of being sulphured, and a sulphur taint will bring the price down.
Other casks types can still be valuable but do not command the same premium in the current market.
-
There are four common sizes of cask:
American Standard Barrel/Bourbon Barrel 200 litres
Standard Hogshead 250 litres
Butt 500 litres
Puncheon 550 litres
Clearly the larger the cask the greater potential for value as there is simply more likely to be more whisky (and thus litres of pure alcohol) remaining in a larger cask.
-
ABV stands for Alcohol By Volume and is measured as a percentage. If the spirit in your cask drops below 40% it is not legally whisky and as such the value is going to be severely affected.
Most casks (the exception being Bruichladdich casks) are filled at around 63.5% ABV and they then fall as the angels take their share. It is too complicated to suggest what an ideal ABV is, but very broadly speaking mature casks with an ABV over 50% command a premium.
RLA stands for Regauged Litres of Alcohol and is the calculation of the remaining contents of whisky within a cask following a regauge. You can learn what a regauge is HERE.
The greater the number of litres of alcohol remaining the greater the value as this indicates a greater remaining volume of whisky inside the cask.
Bottles & Mementos From Your Cask
After waiting decades for your cask of Aberlour to mature wouldn’t it be nice to keep a bottle or two? That’s what we think too and as long as we know the number of bottles you want to keep (up to 6 is normally fine) we can work that into the negotiations.
We have worked with the award winning designer Tom Niklin to design an incredible label for our clients bottles. Tom has worked with the likes of Johnnie Walker, Singleton, Bulleit, Haig, Royal Lochnagar, Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin and Talisker.
This means that when you get your memento from your cask it will look like any other premium bottle of whisky you would find in a whisky retailer. We also have personalisation labels so you can use your bottles as special gifts.
We worked with the award-winning designer Tom Niklin to design our bespoke labels for our client’s bottles.
How to Sell Your Aberlour Cask for the Best Price
We achieve market-beating prices for Aberlour casks by finding you the perfect end-user for your cask. We work our networks in Europe, the USA, the Middle East, and Asia to find the person whose requirements perfectly match those of your cask. This means it can take a few weeks for us to get offers for your cask, but as you most likely have waited several decades for the cask to mature we hope you can wait a few more weeks.
The majority of our clients are based in Asia where any form of Single Malt Scotch Whisky is now positioned as one of the most sought-after assets. It is the demand from Asia that has driven record prices for bottles, culminating in the sale of a 1926 bottle of Macallan for £1,500,000 in 2019. As whisky is now seen as a status symbol the ultra wealthy see casks of whisky as the ultimate status symbol.
If you have a cask you would like valued please use the form below or contact Mark Littler direct at: [email protected]
Sell Your Aberlour Cask With Mark Littler Ltd.
The process for selling your Aberlour cask with Mark Littler Ltd is straightforward, we can offer help and advice at every stage of the journey.
The Cask Selling Process
Please send the details of your Aberlour cask to [email protected] alternatively please use the form below.
Once we have the relevant details from your cask we provide an initial valuation, then work with our network of international buyers to negotiate the best offers for your consideration.
If you decide to proceed with the offer we will make sure you understand the process and issue you with a contract. At this stage we can work with you to draw off a number of bottles for personal use.
We manage all transfer paperwork and guide you through the selling process stage by stage. Once the paperwork has been transferred to the new owners we release the funds to you.
QUICK ABERLOUR CASK VALUATION
Are you looking for a quick valuation on a Aberlour cask you own or are looking to sell? Enter your details below and we will provide you with a free, no-obligation, open market valuation of your cask.
Aberlour Cask Selling FAQ
-
There are lots of different factors that can affect the value of your cask. You can read more about them here.
The essential information we need is:
- Distillery
- Year of production
- Cask type
- Age
- Regauge details
All of this information can be provided by the distillery and is a very common, straightforward process. You simply need to call the distillery and ask for a regauge (read more about what a regauge is here)
-
It is not industry practice to require a sample in order to collect offers, therefore we will not ask you for a sample until you decide to accept an offer.
We do require a photograph of a sample, which you can request when performing a regauge.
-
We act as your agent through the process and there is a formal agency agreement/contract that we will post out to you. This outlines all of our legal obligations as your agent
Once we have received the contract we then invoice the buyer and await payment.
After the funds have cleared we help you transfer ownership of the cask to the buyer and we release the funds to you (less our 10% commission).
If you would like to read reviews from our customers you can search Google for Mark Littler and see hundreds of independent, 5 star reviews from happy clients.
We can also provide references upon request.
-
Our fee is a flat 10% with no hidden fees.
-
No. Unlike other brokers we work on a successful offer only basis. This means that we secure offers from clients who are ready to move forward with the sale of the cask immediately.
Other brokers may take your cask on consignment and then advertise the cask for sale for a set period, say 6 months. They would ask for complete exclusivity even though they may not even be able to find you a buyer.
Why choose Mark Littler to Sell Your Whisky Cask?
Trusted Brokers
At Mark Littler Ltd we sell your Aberlour cask to make a profit for you. We are an independent whisky broker and we are different from other cask selling services in that we help you sell your cask direct to the end user, which means we can get you the best price for your cask. Many other cask selling services buy your cask and then resell it themselves, which means it is not in their interest to get you the best price. Our fees are a flat 10% so you know exactly what to expect when you sell your cask through us.
Don’t just take our word for it. Mark Littler Ltd was established in 2016 and we have over 300 five-star reviews on Google, Facebook and Yell from our contented customers. We understand that selling a cask is significant transaction and can offer independent references on demand.
Delivering Profit to Our Customers
Our international network of buyers ensures we can match your cask with the right consumer to get you the best possible price for your whisky cask. Our extensive network of buyers means we consistently deliver offers that are higher than those put forward by distilleries or other brokers. We work on a flat 10% commission rate, no hidden costs, just us ensuring you get the most out of your cask.
Already have an offer on your cask? Our advice is completely free and as part of our drive to increase transparency in the cask industry we would be more than happy for you to get in touch for a no-obligation chat about selling your whisky cask.
Experience Your Cask
As well as ensuring that selling your whisky cask is a straightforward experience, because of our exclusive industry contacts we can offer a series of unique opportunities when you sell your cask with us.
- Keep 1-6 bottles of your cask, at cost
- Have just a portion of your cask bottled
- Get a custom cask head as a memento of your cask
Bottle up to 6 bottles at cost (plus duty, VAT and bottling fees (aprox. £10-£20 per bottle for a bespoke label design), which can be deducted from the final profit from your cask. If you would like to bottle more than 6 bottles we can also arrange part bottling of your cask. If you would like any bottles from your cask please let us know at the start of the process so we can let any potential buyer know.
Independent Aberlour Whisky Cask Valuations
In order to provide you with an accurate valuation please provide as much of the below information as you can.
All of our valuations are without obligation. You can also call the Mark Littler direct on 01260 218718
The History of the Aberlour Distillery
First established in 1825, the very first distillery to be constructed in Aberlour only ran for eight years, closing down in 1833 when its co-lessees, John and James Grant left in order to construct Glen Grant, their own distillery in Rothes. The current Aberlour Distillery was built many years later in 1879 by James Fleming using water derived from St Drostan’s Well on the site.
As the son of a tenant farmer, James Fleming had worked at Dailuiane Carron for a decade. He produced whisky at the distillery from 1880 until he died 15 years later at the age of 65. He is now buried opposite the distillery that he built. The distillery was bought by Robert Thorne & Sons who ran it until 1921, although the original building shared the same fate as a number of other 19th century distilleries, burning down and requiring a rebuild in 1898. In 1921, Robert Thorne & Sons Ltd. sold the distillery to W. H. Holt & Sons, a brewery near Manchester.
During the Second World War, the distillery operated on a reduced basis, and this led to locals smuggling wash up the Aberlour Burn and illicitly distilling under the Linn Falls. In 1945, the distillery became under the ownership of Campbell Distillers, and in 1974 it passed on into the Pernod Ricard portfolio just following its expansion to four from two stills after its entire interior had been fully modernised. Since the company owning the Aberlour Distillery is French, it has a strong French following, and it now belongs to Chivas Brothers, Pernod’s whisky division which joined with Pernod Ricard in 2001 to form a portfolio of 1 grain distillery and 14 single malt distilleries across Scotland.
Aberlour distillery’s whisky is available in several ages including 18, 16, 15, 12 and 10 year olds as well as a 30 year old which is rare. It also has a cask strength release. Most of the distillery’s variants are made in ex-bourbon casks and some are also finished in casks that were once used to mature sherry or fortified wine – something that especially appeals to French drinkers.
The Aberlour distillery now has a popular modern visitor’s centre which opened in 2002 and it hosts tours and tasting sessions for visitors throughout the year.
Distillery Specific Pages
We can help sell casks from all distilleries, find out more about selling your specific cask of whisky on our specialised distillery pages.
Learn More
Sell Your Cask of Aberlour Whisky with Mark Littler
Aberlour Cask Values & Valuations
Aberlour casks are very sought after in the current market and prices are tending to be on the rise. One of the great Speyside distilleries it traces its roots back to 1825. Clearly no casks from its first owners exist, but lots of casks have been sold to the public by its current owners, Pernod Ricard.
We specialise in the brokerage of Aberlour casks and have buyers all over the world ready to put forward a no-obligation offer.
The most desirable Aberlour casks are fresh fill sherry oak casks, however, refill sherry casks are also in demand. Bourbon casks (quite common at Aberlour) do not command the same premium as sherry casks but can still sell well. Owing to its French parents you can find Aberlour in more unusual casks – something which appeals to both the domestic and wider whisky community.
If you would like to know the value of your Aberlour cask use the form below to get in touch.
QUICK ABERLOUR CASK VALUATION
Are you looking for a quick valuation on a cask you own or are looking to sell? Enter your details below and we will provide you with a free open market valuation of your cask.
Independent Whisky Cask Valuations
Sell Your Cask of Aberlour Whisky with Mark Littler
We have sold millions of pounds of casks for our customers, consistently achieving the best price for all types of whisky cask. We help you sell your cask for the best price by going direct to our extensive network of buyers.
We pride ourselves on our open and friendly approach to selling a cask of whisky. No question is too small and we are happy to offer complimentary valuations on your cask and expert advice on how to achieve the best price when selling your cask.
At Mark Littler we are committed to providing the foremost independent whisky brokerage service in the UK.
What affects the value of a cask of Aberlour whisky?
There are a large number of interlinking factors that impact the final valuation of a cask of whisky. It is a combination of all the following features that can make a cask expensive, or worthless:
-
The distillery has arguably the greatest impact on the value of a cask of whisky. At the top of the spectrum are premium distilleries and silent distilleries such as The Macallan, Bowmore, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Port Ellen, Clynelish, Brora, Rosebank, Springbank etc.
The next tier includes well respected distilleries with a cult following such as Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Aberlour, Tobermory, Arran, Ben Nevis etc. Casks from other distilleries are still valuable but may not command a premium in the current market.
-
Over 90% of whisky is bottled before it reaches 12 years old. As such the scarcity of whisky increases exponentially as casks pass this milestone. There are NO leaps in value at specific anniversaries (such as 15, 18, 21) as most people tend to think.
It is fair to say that the older the whisky the more valuable, however as the more air enters the cask the evaporation rate will increase significantly meaning there is less whisky remaining. As such an older cask might well be worth less than a similar younger cask OVERALL as there is less whisky remaining owing to the loss through evaporation.
-
As this is written in 2020 sherry casks, especially butts and puncheons, command a premium compared to other casks and are more commercial (easier to find buyers for). Fresh fill sherry are particularly sought after, however if the whisky has been maturing too long in a fresh sherry cask the cask can be over sherried. Sherry casks also carry the risk of being sulphured, and a sulphur taint will bring the price down.
Other casks types can still be valuable but do not command the same premium in the current market.
-
There are four common sizes of cask:
American Standard Barrel/Bourbon Barrel 200 litres
Standard Hogshead 250 litres
Butt 500 litres
Puncheon 550 litres
Clearly the larger the cask the greater potential for value as there is simply more likely to be more whisky (and thus litres of pure alcohol) remaining in a larger cask.
-
ABV stands for Alcohol By Volume and is measured as a percentage. If the spirit in your cask drops below 40% it is not legally whisky and as such the value is going to be severely affected.
Most casks (the exception being Bruichladdich casks) are filled at around 63.5% ABV and they then fall as the angels take their share. It is too complicated to suggest what an ideal ABV is, but very broadly speaking mature casks with an ABV over 50% command a premium.
RLA stands for Regauged Litres of Alcohol and is the calculation of the remaining contents of whisky within a cask following a regauge. You can learn what a regauge is HERE.
The greater the number of litres of alcohol remaining the greater the value as this indicates a greater remaining volume of whisky inside the cask.
Bottles & Mementos From Your Cask
After waiting decades for your cask of Aberlour to mature wouldn’t it be nice to keep a bottle or two? That’s what we think too and as long as we know the number of bottles you want to keep (up to 6 is normally fine) we can work that into the negotiations.
We have worked with the award winning designer Tom Niklin to design an incredible label for our clients bottles. Tom has worked with the likes of Johnnie Walker, Singleton, Bulleit, Haig, Royal Lochnagar, Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin and Talisker.
This means that when you get your memento from your cask it will look like any other premium bottle of whisky you would find in a whisky retailer. We also have personalisation labels so you can use your bottles as special gifts.
We worked with the award-winning designer Tom Niklin to design our bespoke labels for our client’s bottles.
How to Sell Your Aberlour Cask for the Best Price
We achieve market-beating prices for Aberlour casks by finding you the perfect end-user for your cask. We work our networks in Europe, the USA, the Middle East, and Asia to find the person whose requirements perfectly match those of your cask. This means it can take a few weeks for us to get offers for your cask, but as you most likely have waited several decades for the cask to mature we hope you can wait a few more weeks.
The majority of our clients are based in Asia where any form of Single Malt Scotch Whisky is now positioned as one of the most sought-after assets. It is the demand from Asia that has driven record prices for bottles, culminating in the sale of a 1926 bottle of Macallan for £1,500,000 in 2019. As whisky is now seen as a status symbol the ultra wealthy see casks of whisky as the ultimate status symbol.
If you have a cask you would like valued please use the form below or contact Mark Littler direct at: [email protected]
Sell Your Aberlour Cask With Mark Littler Ltd.
The process for selling your Aberlour cask with Mark Littler Ltd is straightforward, we can offer help and advice at every stage of the journey.
The Cask Selling Process
Please send the details of your Aberlour cask to [email protected] alternatively please use the form below.
Once we have the relevant details from your cask we provide an initial valuation, then work with our network of international buyers to negotiate the best offers for your consideration.
If you decide to proceed with the offer we will make sure you understand the process and issue you with a contract. At this stage we can work with you to draw off a number of bottles for personal use.
We manage all transfer paperwork and guide you through the selling process stage by stage. Once the paperwork has been transferred to the new owners we release the funds to you.
QUICK ABERLOUR CASK VALUATION
Are you looking for a quick valuation on a Aberlour cask you own or are looking to sell? Enter your details below and we will provide you with a free, no-obligation, open market valuation of your cask.
Aberlour Cask Selling FAQ
-
There are lots of different factors that can affect the value of your cask. You can read more about them here.
The essential information we need is:
- Distillery
- Year of production
- Cask type
- Age
- Regauge details
All of this information can be provided by the distillery and is a very common, straightforward process. You simply need to call the distillery and ask for a regauge (read more about what a regauge is here)
-
It is not industry practice to require a sample in order to collect offers, therefore we will not ask you for a sample until you decide to accept an offer.
We do require a photograph of a sample, which you can request when performing a regauge.
-
We act as your agent through the process and there is a formal agency agreement/contract that we will post out to you. This outlines all of our legal obligations as your agent
Once we have received the contract we then invoice the buyer and await payment.
After the funds have cleared we help you transfer ownership of the cask to the buyer and we release the funds to you (less our 10% commission).
If you would like to read reviews from our customers you can search Google for Mark Littler and see hundreds of independent, 5 star reviews from happy clients.
We can also provide references upon request.
-
Our fee is a flat 10% with no hidden fees.
-
No. Unlike other brokers we work on a successful offer only basis. This means that we secure offers from clients who are ready to move forward with the sale of the cask immediately.
Other brokers may take your cask on consignment and then advertise the cask for sale for a set period, say 6 months. They would ask for complete exclusivity even though they may not even be able to find you a buyer.
Why choose Mark Littler to Sell Your Whisky Cask?
Trusted Brokers
At Mark Littler Ltd we sell your Aberlour cask to make a profit for you. We are an independent whisky broker and we are different from other cask selling services in that we help you sell your cask direct to the end user, which means we can get you the best price for your cask. Many other cask selling services buy your cask and then resell it themselves, which means it is not in their interest to get you the best price. Our fees are a flat 10% so you know exactly what to expect when you sell your cask through us.
Don’t just take our word for it. Mark Littler Ltd was established in 2016 and we have over 300 five-star reviews on Google, Facebook and Yell from our contented customers. We understand that selling a cask is significant transaction and can offer independent references on demand.
Delivering Profit to Our Customers
Our international network of buyers ensures we can match your cask with the right consumer to get you the best possible price for your whisky cask. Our extensive network of buyers means we consistently deliver offers that are higher than those put forward by distilleries or other brokers. We work on a flat 10% commission rate, no hidden costs, just us ensuring you get the most out of your cask.
Already have an offer on your cask? Our advice is completely free and as part of our drive to increase transparency in the cask industry we would be more than happy for you to get in touch for a no-obligation chat about selling your whisky cask.
Experience Your Cask
As well as ensuring that selling your whisky cask is a straightforward experience, because of our exclusive industry contacts we can offer a series of unique opportunities when you sell your cask with us.
- Keep 1-6 bottles of your cask, at cost
- Have just a portion of your cask bottled
- Get a custom cask head as a memento of your cask
Bottle up to 6 bottles at cost (plus duty, VAT and bottling fees (aprox. £10-£20 per bottle for a bespoke label design), which can be deducted from the final profit from your cask. If you would like to bottle more than 6 bottles we can also arrange part bottling of your cask. If you would like any bottles from your cask please let us know at the start of the process so we can let any potential buyer know.
Independent Aberlour Whisky Cask Valuations
In order to provide you with an accurate valuation please provide as much of the below information as you can.
All of our valuations are without obligation. You can also call the Mark Littler direct on 01260 218718
The History of the Aberlour Distillery
First established in 1825, the very first distillery to be constructed in Aberlour only ran for eight years, closing down in 1833 when its co-lessees, John and James Grant left in order to construct Glen Grant, their own distillery in Rothes. The current Aberlour Distillery was built many years later in 1879 by James Fleming using water derived from St Drostan’s Well on the site.
As the son of a tenant farmer, James Fleming had worked at Dailuiane Carron for a decade. He produced whisky at the distillery from 1880 until he died 15 years later at the age of 65. He is now buried opposite the distillery that he built. The distillery was bought by Robert Thorne & Sons who ran it until 1921, although the original building shared the same fate as a number of other 19th century distilleries, burning down and requiring a rebuild in 1898. In 1921, Robert Thorne & Sons Ltd. sold the distillery to W. H. Holt & Sons, a brewery near Manchester.
During the Second World War, the distillery operated on a reduced basis, and this led to locals smuggling wash up the Aberlour Burn and illicitly distilling under the Linn Falls. In 1945, the distillery became under the ownership of Campbell Distillers, and in 1974 it passed on into the Pernod Ricard portfolio just following its expansion to four from two stills after its entire interior had been fully modernised. Since the company owning the Aberlour Distillery is French, it has a strong French following, and it now belongs to Chivas Brothers, Pernod’s whisky division which joined with Pernod Ricard in 2001 to form a portfolio of 1 grain distillery and 14 single malt distilleries across Scotland.
Aberlour distillery’s whisky is available in several ages including 18, 16, 15, 12 and 10 year olds as well as a 30 year old which is rare. It also has a cask strength release. Most of the distillery’s variants are made in ex-bourbon casks and some are also finished in casks that were once used to mature sherry or fortified wine – something that especially appeals to French drinkers.
The Aberlour distillery now has a popular modern visitor’s centre which opened in 2002 and it hosts tours and tasting sessions for visitors throughout the year.
Distillery Specific Pages
We can help sell casks from all distilleries, find out more about selling your specific cask of whisky on our specialised distillery pages.
Learn More